Gift Idea: A Video Game for the Anti-Video Game Mom

It’s no secret that I’m not a big fan of video game systems. I hate seeing zombie kids sitting down doing nothing but pushing buttons, zapping things with a blank stare on their faces, disconnected from everyone and everything around them.

When my aunt wanted to buy my kids a Wii, I finally relented to my children’s constant begging (and in recognition of their good behavior and excellent school grades) and agreed on the condition that we would only have the sports package and Wii Fit. At least those games keep them moving, engaged and using their bodies and brains. Even so, there is still no Wii (or TV) on school nights in our home.

But the truth is, I really do enjoy playing interactive games with the kids. In fact, anything that is engaging and can be played as a family is alright by me. And I must confess, as a single mom desperately seeking some alone time, it’s good to have a guilt-free way for my kids to entertain themselves so I can get a few minutes of solitude (or an uninterrupted shower).   

That’s why I was super excited about the uDraw GameTablet®,  and the uDraw game(s) for Wii™, including my personal favorite, Pictionary™: Ultimate Edition, a new, high-tech version of the family favorite. They are all available on Wii™, Playstation®3, Xbox 360®.

Unlike those “zombie” games, the uDraw game tablet encourages creativity and expression, so it’s more like educational entertainment but my kids only see fun. My daughter loves drawing, and watching her express herself and explore color palettes and artistic tools on the uDraw tablet gave her hours of fun. With so much to do, the uDraw is a great value because it’s  so much more than one game.

My son pulled out some of his favorite drawings from school to recreate with uDraw. And family fun night took on a whole new meaning when Grandma and Grandpa joined us for an after-dinner round of Pictionary™: Ultimate Edition. What a great night!

And as a person who is no friend of new technology even I found the console controls easy to use (my tech-challenged, non-texting parents even managed the console!) and I was super impressed that there was a center-docked stylus for right or left-handed players so my left-handed son plays with ease.

Thanks to a handful of products like uDraw and others, I must confess that I’m slowly becoming a convert and agreeing that some video games can be fun, educational and great for family time. Sshhh!! Just don’t tell my kids.

Read Lifetime Mom Erika's review of the uDraw games for Playstation®3 >>

Enter the uDraw Holiday Giveaway for a chance to win a Game Tablet prize package which includes 5 additional games and $300 for a console.